In recent years, running has experienced a resurgence in popularity due to its simplicity and the various benefits it offers. It’s a fairly easy activity to get into — all you have to do is to lace up your sneakers and head out the door.
However, with this resurgence in popularity came the increase in injuries associated with running. Among the top injuries that runners often have to deal with are plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, knee problems, Achilles tendonitis and hip bursitis. With the help of a New York chiropractor, you can avoid these injuries, allowing you to best your personal records or even get on the podium on your next marathon event.
Most of these injuries can be traced, one way or another, to misalignment, and one of the first things a chiropractor with experience in treating runners will look for is the cause of this misalignment. Among runners, the most common source of misalignment is sticking to the same routine over and over. These include running on the same surface day in and day out, failing to replace old running shoes, or even running on slanted areas like beaches.
But even when you are not running, misalignment can still occur. Specifically, your posture during the work day, especially if you are an office worker who spends practically eight hours seated and hunched in front of a computer. This is one of the reasons why office workers need to take regular short breaks and even shift from one position to another from time to time.
Another major cause of running injuries is the failure to warm up and stretch properly. A proper warm-up for runners involves exercises that target the spine and joints, specifically the hip sockets and the muscles of the buttocks. Through correct and ample warm-up and stretching, you are enabling your body to respond better to changes in stride and even the demands of the terrain you are running on.
Stretching, on the other hand, should only be performed after your running session. If you stretch prior to your run, you risk deactivating the muscles that will be used in running. A runner’s stretching routine focuses on the legs, calves, hip flexors and the lower back.
If you suffer from a running injury, your chiropractor can recommend a variety of treatment options, the most common of which are the Graston Technique, Active Release Technique or ART, functional dry needling, and electrical muscle stimulation or EMS.